called the founders of the St. George's Society of Toronto. Mr. Barber was appointed secretary at its first meeting in 1835, and was very efficient in that capacity. But it was the enthusiastic spirit and the galvanic energy of William Rowsell that raised the society to the high position it has ever since maintained in Toronto. Other members, especially George P. Ridout, William Wakefield, W. B. Phipps, Jos. D. Ridout, W. B. Jarvis, Rev. H. Scadding, and many more, gave their hearty co-operation then and afterwards.. In those early days, the ministrations of the three national societies of St. George, St. Andrew, and St. Patrick, were as angels' visits to thousands of poor emigrants, who landed here in the midst of the horrors of fever and want. Those poor fellows, who, like my companions on board the Asia, were sent out by some parochial authority, and found themselves, with their wives and half-adozen young children, left without a shilling to buy their first meal, must have been driven to desperation and crime but for the help extended to them by the three societies.

The earliest authorized report of the Society's proceedings which I can find, is that for the year 1843-4, and I think I cannot do better than give the list of the officers and members entire :

ST. GEORGE'S SOCIETY OF TORONTO.

Officers for 1844.

PATRON-His Excellency the Right Hon. Sir CHARLES T. METCALFE, Bart., K.G.B., Governor-General of British North America, &c.

PRESIDENT-William Wakefield. VICE-PRESIDENTS-W. B. Jarvis, G. P. Ridout, W. Atkinson. CHAPLAIN-The Rev. Henry Scadding, M.A.

PHYSICIAN-Robt. Hornby, M.D. TREASURER-Henry Rowsell. MANAGING COMMITTEE-G. Walton, T. Clarke, J. D. Ridout, F. Lewis, J. Moore, J. G. Beard, W. H. Boulton.

SECRETARY-W. Rowsell.

STANDARD BEARERS-G. D. Wells, A. Wasnidge, F. W. Coate, T. Moore.

List of Members, March, 1844.

E. H. Ades, E. S. Alport, Thos. Armstrong, W. Atkinson.

Thos. Baines, G. W. Baker, Jr.; G. A. Barber, F. W. Barron, Robert Barwick, J. G. Beard, Robt. Beard, Edwin Bell, Matthew Betley, J. C. Bettridge, G. Bilton, T. W. Birchall, W. H. Boulton, Josh. Bound, W. Bright, Jas. Brown, Jno. Brown, Thos. Brunskill, E. C. Bull, Jas. Burgess, Mark Burgess, Thos. Burgess.

F.C. Capreol, W. Cayley, Thos. Champion, F. C. Chapman, Jas. Christie, Edw. Clarke, Jno. Clark, Thos. Clarke, Thos. Clarkson, D. Cleal, F. W. Coate, Edw. Cooper, C. N. B. Cozens.

Jno. Davis, Nath. Davis, G. T. Denison, Sen., Robt. B. Denison, Hon. W. H. Draper.

Jno. Eastwood, Jno. Elgie, Thos. Elgie, Jno. Ellis, Christopher Elliott, J. P. Esten, Jas. Eykelbosch.

C. T. Gardner, Jno. Garfield, W. Gooderham, G. Gurnett.

Chas. Hannath, W. Harnett, Josh. Hill, Rich. Hockridge, Joseph Hodgson, Dr. R. Hornby, G. C. Horwood, J. G. Howard.

Chas. Sabine, J. H. Savigny, Hugh Savigny, Geo. Sawdon, Rev. H. Scadding, Jas. Severs, Rich, Sewell, Hon. Henry Sherwood, Jno. Sleigh, I. A. Smith, L. W. Smith, Thos. Smith (Newgate Street), Thos. Smith (Market Square), J. G. Spragge, Jos. Spragge, W. Steers, J. Stone.

Leonard Thompson, S. Thompson, Rich. Tinning, Enoch Turner.

Wm. Wakefield, Jas. Wallis, Geo. Walton, W. Walton, Alf. Wasnidge, Hon. Col. Wells, G. D. Wells, Thos. Wheeler, F. Widder, H. B. Williams, J. Williams, Wm. Wynn.

Thos. Young.

I was asked by Mr. Wm. Rowsell to furnish an introduction to the new Constitution and Laws, then recently adopted, and wrote the following, which gives a fair idea of the spirit and objects of the Society :

'The united suffrages of the wisest and greatest of men, in every age, have placed the love of our country as the first of social virtues-producing as it has so many elevated and disinterested examples for the admiration of the world. Englishmen, above all others, have reason to cherish this ennobling feeling, for in the foremost rank of philanthropy has their beloved native land advanced to the civilization of mankind, extending Christianity, and liberty, and peace to regions where those inestimable blessings must otherwise, apparently, have been altogether unknown.

To those who have left their homes for other lands, most endearingly does the memory of England-ever beautiful, ever honourable, and we trust ever merry England-warm the heart with filial love and gratitude. And were she -our dear Island Mother-to command from us some token of the duty which it is our pride to render her, in what manner could we more strongly evidence our affection than in protecting, and cherish. ing, and aiding Englishmen, whom misfortune has cast upon our compassion, and who must suffer the deepest misery, unless we, their brethren-children of the same mighty and benevolent parent -bestow a portion of the means with which Providence has entrusted us, to

rescue them from their distress.

'It was for this object-to console the afflicted-to comfort the wanderer-to succour the widow and the orphan-to encourage the despairing-and to relieve the sick and dying-that the St. George's Society of Toronto was established, that Englishmen, and the descendants of Englishmen, might never forget the sacred obligations they owe to the land of their sires-might never lose those noble memories of the past which must prove their surest safeguard against degeneracy and dishonour-might never neglect the delightful privilege of soothing the woes of their less fortunate brethren from

'THE OLDE COUNTRIE.'

The list of Englishmen thus reproduced, may well raise emotions of love and regret in us their survivors. Most of them have died full of years, and rich in the respect of their compatriots of all nations. There are still surviving some three-and-twenty out of the above one hundred and thirty-seven members.

To satisfy myself, and inform my readers, of the amount of charitable aid to emigrants distributed by the St. George's Society since its first meeting, I have, by the courtesy of the Secretary, Mr. J. E. Pell, examined the Society's books, and find that the average number of persons and families assisted directly by the Committee, has been about five hundred yearly, or a total of nearly twenty-three thousand Englishmen and their families. The amount so expended appears to have been $843 per annum, on the average, or in round numbers $20,000, besides $12,000 in the shape of Christmas supplies within the last twenty-three years, or $531 per annum. Altogether these figures add up to $32,000 and upwards. In addition to all this, the Society has paid its current expenses, and had on hand, on the 1st of Janu ary, 1881, no less than $7,328.65 in the shape of investments, chiefly from money contributed by life members, of

whom it has 207; also 16 honorary life members and 335 ordinary members. Last year the expenditure for weekly relief was $1,111.74, and the Christmas distribution expenditure $760.10, making $1,871.84 in all.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

THE BRITISH AMERICAN LEAGUE.

THE year 1849 was marked by

many striking occurrences. The passage of the Rebellion Losses Bill; the burning of the Parliament buildings in Montreal; the consequent removal of the seat of Government to Toronto, the annexation movement in Montreal; and the assembling of the British-American League, in Kingston, all occurred during this year. As the most important in its character and results, I give precedence to the latter event, not only because I took part in it myself, but also because it seems to have escaped the attention of Canadian historians of our day.

The union of all the British American colonies now forming the Dominion of Canada was discussed at Quebec as long ago as the year 1815; and at various times afterwards it came to the surface amid the politics of the day. The Tories of 1837 were generally favourable to union, while many Reformers objected to it. Lord Durham's report recommended a general union of the five Provinces, as a desirable sequel to the proposed union of Upper and Lower Canada.

But it was not until the passage of the Rebellion Losses Bill, on April 25th, 1849, that the question of a larger confederation began to assume importance. The British population of Montreal, exasperated at the action of the Parliament in recognising claims for compensation on the part of the French Canadian rebels of 1837that is, on the part of those who had

slain loyalists and ruined their families were ready to adopt any means -reasonable or unreasonable-of escaping from the hated domination of an alien majority. The Rebellion Losses Bill was felt by them to imply a surrender of all those rights which they and theirs had fought hard to maintain. Hence the burning of the Parliament buildings by an infuriated | populace. Hence the demand in Montreal for annexation to the United States. Hence the attack upon Lord Elgin's carriage in the same city, and the less serious demonstration in Toronto. But wiser men and cooler politicians saw in the union of all the British-American Provinces a more constitutional, as well as a more pacific, remedy.

The first public meetings of the British American League were held in Montreal, where the movement early assumed a formal organization; but auxiliary branches rapidly sprang up in almost every city, town and village throughout Upper Canada, and the Eastern Townships of Lower Canada. In Toronto, meetings were held at Smith's Hotel, at the corner of Colborne Street and West Market Square, and were attended by large numbers, chiefly of the Tory party, but including several known Reformers. In fact, from first to last, the sympathies of the Reformers were with the League; and hence there was no serious attempt at a counter-demonstration, notwithstanding that the Government and the Globe newspaper-at the time-did their best to ridicule and contemn the proposed union.

The principal speakers at the Toronto meetings were P. M. Vankoughnet, John W. Gamble, Ogle R. Gowan, David B. Read, E. G. O'Brien, John Duggan and others. They were warmly supported.

After some correspondence between Toronto and Montreal, it was arranged that a general meeting of the League, to consist of delegates from all the town and country branches, formally

accredited, should be held at Kingston, in the new Town Hall, which had been placed at their disposal by the city authorities. Here, in a lofty, welllighted, and commodiously-seated hall, the British American League assembled on the 25th day of July, 1849. The number of delegates present was one hundred and forty, each representing some hundreds of stout yeomen, loyal to the death, and in intelligence equal to any constituency in the Empire or the world. The number of people so represented, with their families, could not have been less than half a million.

The first day was spent in discussion (with closed doors) of the manner in which the proceedings should be conducted, and in the appointment of a committee to prepare resolutions for submission on the morrow. On the 26th, accordingly, the public business commenced.

The proceedings were conducted in accordance with parliamentary prac tice. The chairman, the Hon. George Moffatt, of Montreal, sat on a raised platform at the east end of the hall; at a table in front of him were placed the two secretaries, W. G. Mack, of Montreal, and Win. Brooke, of Shipton, C. E. On either side were seated the delegates, and outside a rail, running transversely across the room, benches were provided for spectators, of whom a large number attended. A table for reporters stood on the south side, near the secretaries' table. I may add, that I was present both as delegate and reporter.

The business of the day was commenced with prayer, by a clergyman of Kingston.

Mr. John W. Gamble, of Vaughan, then, as chairman of the committee nominated the previous day, introduced a series of resolutions, the first of which was adopted unanimously as follows :

'That it is essential to the prosperity of the country that the tariff should be so proportioned and levied,

as to give just and adequate protection to the manufacturing and industrial classes of the country, and to secure to the agricultural population a home market with fair and remunerative prices for all descriptions of farm produce.'

Resolutions in favour of economy in public expenditure, of equal justice to all classes of the people, and condemnatory of the Government in connexion with the Rebellion Losses Bill, were proposed in turn, and unanimously adopted, after discussions extending over two or three days. The principal speakers in support of the resolutions were J. W. Gamble, Ogle R. Gowan, P. M. Vankoughnet, Thos. Wilson, of Quebec, Geo. Crawford, A. A. Burnham - Aikman, John Duggan, Col. Frazer, Geo. Benjamin, and John A. Macdonald.

At length, the main object of the assemblage was reached, and embodied in the form of a motion introduced by Mr. Breckenridge, of Cobourg,

THAT DELEGATES BE APPOINTED TO CONSULT WITH SIMILAR DELEGATES FROM NOVA SCOTIA AND NEW BRUNSWICK, CONCERNING THE PRACTICABILITY OF A UNION OF ALL THE PROVINCES.

This resolution was adopted unanimously after a full discussion. Other resolutions giving effect thereto were passed, and the meeting adjourned.

On the 1st November following, the League re-assembled in the City Hall, Toronto, to receive the report of the delegates to the Maritime Provinces, which was altogether favourable. It was then decided, that the proper course would be to bring the subject before the several legislatures through the people's representatives; and so the matter rested for the time.

In consequence of the removal of the seat of Government to Toronto, I was appointed secretary of the League, with Mr. C. W. Cooper as assistant secretary. Meetings of the Executive committee took place from time to time. At one of these, Mr. J. W.

RESULTS OF THE B. A. LEAGUE.

THE very brief

summary which I

have been able to give in the preceding chapter, may suffice to show, as I have desired to do, that no lack of progressiveness, no lack of patriotism, no lack of energy on great public occasions, is justly chargeable against Canadian Tories. I could produce page after page of extracts, in proof that the objects of the League were jeered at and condemned by the Reform press, led by the Globe newspaper. But in that instance, Mr. George Brown was deserted by his own party. I have spoken with numbers of Reformers who entirely sympathized with us; and it was not long before we had our revenge, which was in the year

1864, when the Hon. George Brown and the Hon. John A. Macdonald clasped hands together, for the purpose of forming an administration expressly pledged to effect the union. of the five Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.

In the importance of the object, the intelligence of the actors, and, above all, in the determined earnestness of every man concerned, the meetings of the British American League may well claim to rank with those famous gatherings of the people, which have marked great eras in the world's progress both in ancient and modern times. In spite of every effort to dwarf its importance, and even to ignore its existence, the British American League fulfilled its mission.

By the action of the League, was Canada lifted into a front rank amongst progressive peoples.

By the action of the League, the day was hastened, when our rivers, our lakes, our canals, our railroads, shall constitute the great highway from Europe to Eastern Asia and Austral

asia.

By the action of the League, a forward step was taken towards that great future of the British race, which is destined to include in its heavendirected mission, the whole world-east, west, north and south! THE END.